Portable dwelling structure



Nov. 24, 1970 I w. J. MAXWELL PORTABLE DWELLING STRUCTURE Filed Sept. 4,1968 //v|//vr0/? WILLIAM J. MAXWELL a i-Q L ATTORNEY United StatesPatent U.S. Cl. 52-73 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This inventionrelates to a portable dwelling structure that has one or more columnswith a plurality of laterally extending supporting walls. The walls havevertically spaced parallel receivers for portable dwelling units. Thedwelling units have mating receivers that are positioned in thesupporting wall receivers to support the portable dwelling units in acantilever fashion from the supporting walls. Suitable plumbing,electrical facilities, elevators and stairs are provided in the columns.The dwelling units are lifted into place by a crane, preferably mountedon the top of the respective column. With the mating receivers, thedwelling units can be quickly positioned on the supporting walls andalso removed therefrom.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention This inventionrelates to a dwelling structure with separate detachable dwelling unitsand more particularly to a dwelling structure that has a vertical columnwith laterally extending vertical walls onto which portable dwellingunits are secured in cantilever fashion.

Description of the prior art Hammond patent #2,499,498 discloses amobile housing unit that is of conventional construction in that itincludes four walls encompassing the outer periphery of the housingstructure. The side walls have a plurality of slidable panels or doorsfor indivdual cells that are arranged to receive separate dwellingunits. The dwelling units are supported at their opposite ends instructural panel members and the slidable panels of the housingstructure are positioned in receivers thereabove when a portabledwelling unit is positioned in the cell associated with the slidablepanel.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the present invention, the dwellingstructure includes one or more vertical columns that house the plumbing,electric, heating facilities, stairs and elevators. Extending laterallyfrom the vertical columns are a plurality of vertical supporting walls.The walls have vertically spaced parallel receivers extending laterallytherefrom on opposite sides of the vertical walls. Portable dwellingunits have vertically spaced parallel receivers extending along one sideadjacent the bottom and top of the unit. The units are supported on thewalls at preselected elevations by positioning the receivers on theportable unit in the mating receivers on the supporting wall. Theplumbing, heating and electrical facilities form the central column andare connected to the end of the portable dwelling unit abutting thevertical column. The structure thus includes only a vertical column witha plurality of laterally extending vertical walls. Secured to andsupported by the walls in cantilever fashion are a plurality of portabledwelling units that may be positioned on or removed therefrom whendesired.

With this arrangement, the construction of the supporting structure isinexpensive when the number of dwelling 3,541,744 Patented Nov. 24, 1970units associated therewith is taken into consideration. The arrangementis versatile in that the portable dwelling units may be quickly andeasily positioned at a desired elevation on the vertical walls and alsoquickly removed therefrom when desired. Another embodiment of thisinvention includes platforms extending laterally from the vertical wallson which the housing units are positioned.

Accordingly, the primary object of this invention is to provide adwelling structure having a plurality of vertical walls onto whichhousing units are detachably connected in overlying relation to eachother.

Another object of this invention is to provide a dwelling structure thatincludes a main tower with a plurality of vertical walls extendinglaterally therefrom with portable dwelling unit supporting memberssecured thereto in horizontally spaced parallel relation onto whichseparate housing units are secured and supported in cantilever fashion.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will be morecompletely disclosed and described in the following specification, theaccompanying drawings and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of myportable dwelling structure illustrating the portable dwelling unitsecured to the laterally extending walls.

FIG. 2 is a plan view in section illustrating the portable dwellingunits secured to the laterally extending walls and the vertical centralcolumn.

FIG. 3 is a view in vertical section through one of the vertical wallsillustrating the manner in which the portable dwelling units aresupported thereon in cantilever fashion.

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 illustrating another embodiment ofsupporting members extending laterally from the vertical wall for theportable dwelling units.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A portable dwelling structuregenerally designated by the numeral 10 includes a central tower :12 thathas a generally rectangular configuration with side walls 14, 16, 18 and20. The tower 12 has a central vertical shaft or opening 22 in whichelevators 24 and stairs 26 are positioned to provide ingress and egressthrough openings 28 at various elevations.

Plumbing, electrical and heating facilities are also positioned withinthe shaft 22 and have suitable connections (not shown) for each of theportable dwelling units, as later explained. Each of the side walls 14,16, 18 and 20 has a laterally extending vertical wall 30, 32, 34 and 36.The vertical walls are suitably secured to the side walls of the tower12 and provide support means for portable dwelling units secured toopposite sides thereof. FIG. 1 illustrates the side walls 34 and 36 withthe portable dwelling units secured thereto at various elevations. Aroof 38 is secured to the top of the tower :12 and extends outwardly tothe outer edge of the vertical walls 30, 32, 34 and 36. The roof 38 isarranged to house various other facilities necessary for a multipledwelling unit structure such as the hoist components for the elevatorsand the like. There are also provided a plurality of crane-like members40 secured to the roof 38, one of which is illustrated in FIG. 1, tohoist the portable dwelling units into position on the respectivevertical walls. The crane-like members 40 are arranged to move outwardlyon suitable supports, as illustrated in FIG. 1, and engage a portabledwelling unit, lift the portable dwelling unit the desired elevation,then move inwardly until the portable dwelling unit is in abuttingrelation with the wall and suitably supported on the receiver devices.

The portable dwelling units generally designated by the numeral 42 haveside walls 44 and 46 and end walls 48 and 50. The end wall 48 has anopening or door 52 therein that mates with the opening 28 in the towerwalls to permit ingress and egress from the portable dwelling unit 42 tothe internal portion of the tower 12. The side walls 46 and end wall mayhave suitable windows 54 and a transverse support beam 56 maintains therectangular configuration of the dwelling unit 42 when supported asillustrated in FIG. 3.

The vertical wall 34, as illustrated in FIG. 3, has a plurality ofsupporting members 58 and 60 extending from the side 62 and othersupporting members 64 and 66 extending from the opposite side 68. Thehorizontal supporting members are preferably arranged at the sameelevation on opposite sides of the vertical wall 34 and each has anelongated upturned edge portion 70 that forms with the vertical wall 34a channel shaped receiver 72. Thus, the support members 58, 60 and 64and 66 provide pairs of spaced upturned channel receivers at variouselevations along the vertical wall 34. Similar upturned channel supportportions are provided on the other vertical walls 30, 32 and 36.

The portable dwelling units 42 have a first longitudinally extendingsecuring member 74 adjacent the dwelling unit roof 76 and a secondlongitudinally extending securing member 78 adjacent the dwelling unitfloor 80. Each of the securing members 72 and 78 extends laterally fromthe dwelling unit side wall 44 and have depending edge portions 82 thatare positioned in the upturned channel receivers 72 formed by thehorizontal supporting members 58, 60 and 64, 66.

The dwelling units 42 are supported from the vertical wall 34 incantilever fashion by positioning the depending edge portions 82 of thesecuring members 74 and 78 in the upturned channel portions 72. Theportable dwelling units 42 are thus supported in cantilever fashion fromthe vertical walls on opposite sides thereof and may be quicklypositioned at various elevations on the respective vertical walls. As isillustrated in FIG. 1, the portable dwelling unit 42 is engaged by thecrane-like member 40 and is hoisted to the desired elevation and thenthe cranelike member 40 is moved inwardly to position the securingmembers 74 and 78 above the channel shaped supporting members secured tothe vertical wall. The crane-like member 40 then lowers the dwellingunit 42 until the depending edge portions 82 are engaged in theupstanding channel receiver. When desired, suitable pins, bolts or thelike (not shown) could further secure the side wall 44 to the surface 68as protection against high winds.

Another embodiment of the support members for the portable dwellingunits 42 is illustrated in FIG. 4. The vertical wall 34 has laterallyextending platforms or parallel arms 84 and '86 on opposite sidesthereof at various elevations. The portable dwelling units 42 arepositioned on the laterally extending platforms 84 and 86 with thedwelling unit side Wall 44 in abutting relation with the surface 68 ofvertical wall 34 and the end wall 48 in abutting relation with the wall18 of tower 12. The dwelling units 42 may be positioned on the platforms84 and 86 by means of the crane-like structure 40 illustrated in FIG. 1.Similarly, the wall 44 could be secured to the surface 68 of wall 34 bypins or other simple locking devices to fixedly position the dwellingunit on the platforms or parallel arms 84 and 86.

It will be apparent from the previous description that it is nowpossible with the dwelling structure 10 previously described to quicklyand easily secure portable dwelling units to laterally extendingvertical walls of a tower 12. It will also be appreciated with thisarrangement that portable dwelling units may be positioned on oppositesides of the same laterally extending vertical wall to provide multipledwelling units in a minimum area. It should be understood, however, thatthe invention is not limited to the rectangular configuration of thetower 12 nor to four vertical walls associated with each vertical toweror column. It is within the scope of this invention to provide two ormore spaced vertical walls along one wall of the main column or tower toincrease the number of dwelling units associated with each tower.

It should be understood although the tower 12 has been described ashaving vertical walls 30, 32, 34 and 36 extending laterally therefrom,the invention could be practiced with equal facility by securing thedwelling units 142 to the side walls 14, 16, 18 and 20 of the tower 12by the same supporting devices previously described.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, the principle,preferred construction and mode of operation of this invention has beenexplained, and what is considered to represent its best embodiments hasbeen illustrated and described. However, it should be understood that,within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practicedotherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. In a dwelling structure the combination comprising,

a tower having a central opening to permit ingress and egress to variouselevations through openings in said tower side walls,

said tower having a plurality of laterally extending unitary verticalwalls,

horizontal receiver means secured to said unitary vertical walls atpreselected elevations,

portable dwelling structures removably supported on said receiver meansextending from said unitary vertical walls and in overlying relation toeach other,

said portable dwelling structures having an opening therein connected toa mating opening in said tower side walls, and

said tower and said plurality of portable dwelling structures supportedfrom said unitary vertical walls forming a multi-story, multi-unitdwelling structure with said dwelling structures being separatelyremovable from said tower unitary vertical Walls.

2. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said horizontal receiver means include horizontal platforms extendinglaterally from said vertical walls at preselected locations,

said portable dwelling units positioned on said respective horizontalplatforms with one side in abutting relation with said wall and anadjacent side in abutting relation with said tower.

3. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said horizontal receiver means comprise elongated supporting membershaving upturned longitudinal edge portions forming an upstanding channelreceiver with the surface of said vertical wall,

a pair of said supporting members on the same side of said vertical wallarranged to support each portable dwelling structure,

said portable dwelling structures each having a longitudinally extendingsecuring member adjacent the roof and the floor,

said securing members extending laterally from the side of said dwellingstructure and having a depending longitudinal edge portion,

said depending longitudinal edge portions of both of said securingmembers positioned in mating up standing channel portions of saidreceivers to support said portable dwelling structure from said verticalwall.

4. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 3 in which, saidhorizontal receiver means are positioned on opposite sides of saidvertical wall at the same elevation.

5. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 1 in which, said portabledwelling units are generally rectangular in shape and have side wallslonger than the end walls,

one of said end walls having an opening arranged to be positioned inoverlying relation with an opening in said tower,

said portable dwelling unit side wall positioned in abutting relationwith-said laterally extending vertical wall and supported by saidhorizontal receiver means secured to said laterally extending verticalwall.

6. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 1 in which,

said tower is generally rectangular in cross section and has fourvertical side walls,

a vertical wall extends laterally from the center of each of said sidewalls and forms a supporting structure for portable dwelling unitsremovably secured to opposite sides of each of said vertical walls.

7. A dwelling structure as set forth in claim 6 in which,

said portable dwelling units each includes a pair of spaced parallelsecuring members extending laterally from one of the side walls, and

said tower laterally extending vertical walls each having upturnedchannel type receivers for said securing members.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS 3/ 1963 Canada.8/ 1966 Denmark. 7/ 1961 France.

ALFRED C. PERHAM, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R.

